Dark to light is the way the season is gradually going, and it describes the offerings at the Holiday Hangover Fest on Jan. 27.

Beers range from a Black Lager from Freebridge to a Bohemian pils from Solera in the second-annual January beer fest sponsored by Brewers in the Gorge (BIG).

Festival Details

Buy $20 tickets in advance via Holiday Hangover Facebook page, where you will find a link to tickets. Admission is $25 day of the event. Admission gives you a glass mug and 10 tokens for four-ounce pours, and additional tokens will be available for purchase. Programs at the event will give beer and specialty schedule details. Elks Lodge is located at Third and Cascade streets in downtown Hood River.

Goldendale’s Dwinell Country Ales, the newest brewery of the Gorge, will be on hand, along with Ferment of Hood River, soon to settle at permanent digs on the Hood River waterfront. Also invited are 54-40 of Washougal, an affiliate member of Breweries in the Gorge.

Double Mountain Brewery — Dry Cider cider, 6.7 ABV (Newtowns and old world cider apples from the Double Mountain Orchard were pressed and fermented on our house yeast strain. We gave it plenty of time to dry out and develop wondrous aromas, it finishes tart, crisp, dry, and quenching).

From one festival to another: Double Mountain Brewery, Full Sail and pFriem Family Brewers are the three Gorge representatives at the Feb. 9-10 KLCC Brew Fest at Eugene’s Lane County Events site, 796 W. 13th St.

Admission is $15 for a day pass, $22 both days, and hours are 5-11 p.m. Feb. 9 and Saturday, 1-11 p.m. Admission includes a souvenir glass and two beer tickets. Entertainment will be by Soul Vibrator, Friday at 8 p.m. and DJ Connah Jay, 6:30 p.m. Friday and 7-11 p.m. on Saturday.

An added feature is a “Tour the World” passport for sampling a variety of collaboration ales including rare styles such as Finnish Sahti, Netherlands Kuit, fruited Gose, Jamaican Stout and bouza, an ancient Egyptian beer.

Samples

Double Mountain: Come meet Nigel. He’s not a person, he’s a beer, and a rare Double Mountain fermentation to receive a single first-name. But it seems fitting; if he was a person he would be a quiet but engaged listener at the dinner conversation, adding lively and lingering comments when the moments call for it.

Flavorful as he is, Nigel won’t be in town long, though; find him on tap, a cask conditioned version of Hop Lion on nitro (6.7 percent ABV, 65 BU), and Hop Lion is available on tap or in bottles year-round.

Big Horse: Sit down with Uncle Curtis. He’ll surprise you, this IPA with an 8.9 ABV and potent-sounding IBU of 80. Curtis is hoppy indeed, but with a hint of toffee sweetness. For those who don’t often willingly venture much past the 50-60 zone, such as myself, this might be one to branch out with. The spice is toned down and makes way for a rounder flavor and pleasant mouth feel. The beer is brewer Neal Brent’s tribute to fellow brewer Curtis Bain, who has relocated to start his own brewery in Utah.

Full Sail: Bourbon Cherry Rye (9.4, 22 IBU) was brewed with Hood River Valley Montmorency cherries and aged for months in rye bourbon barrels, and the two eponymous flavors nicely mingle. It is a delicious twist, with more of a perfume effect from the cherries, and none of the cough-medicine quality you often find in cherry beers — heck, cherry-anything.